Who Says the Director Is Frigid? (Lily ABO) - Chapter 4

After being fired, Xu Mengyan supported herself by taking online commissions for cartoon profile pictures and illustrations.

During her unemployment, she felt grateful that she had never been someone who spent money recklessly. Her usual food and clothing were simple, and she rarely joined her colleagues for meals in order to minimize expenses. For one thing, she needed to send money to her parents. For another, she wanted to save as much as possible.

Therefore, even after suddenly losing her job, she could still afford her rent.

Before joining her previous company, she had also earned money through online art commissions while submitting resumes. She now returned to that same routine.

Xu Mengyan applied to numerous small and medium-sized companies where she believed she would have a reasonable chance of being hired. She spent an entire month attending interviews and second-round interviews, yet every application ended in rejection. All that time had been wasted.

When someone’s luck reached rock bottom, perhaps heaven would open a window and allow a little fresh air inside.

Just as Xu Mengyan was despairing over how long it might take to find stable employment—and worrying about the rent due next month—she discovered an online recruitment notice from Palm Pearl, a jewelry company under the Han Group.

It was seeking an office clerk for its design department.

Judging by the job description, the position involved miscellaneous errands and grunt work. It was the sort of thankless job that would never pay particularly well.

Xu Mengyan did not look down on it. In fact, it suited her perfectly.

The other companies she had applied to had nothing to do with design either. Ever since Li Zhongguang stole her design and used it to enter the competition, part of her dream had shattered. She no longer wanted anyone to know that she could design jewelry.

Her plan was to obtain an ordinary clerical position and use her private time to create designs for other competitions.

As long as she earned a place in an authoritative competition, better opportunities would surely follow.

With nothing to lose, she submitted her resume.

A week later, she received a message inviting her to an interview. To her surprise, the interview was held directly at the Han Group’s headquarters. Perhaps there were simply too many applicants. During the time Xu Mengyan was present, she estimated that at least several dozen people were waiting.

That was understandable.

The Han Group was a publicly listed corporation. Palm Pearl might officially be considered a new company, but under the leadership of the Han family’s Third Young Lady, it had achieved outstanding results over the past two years.

The Pearl Affinity Collection released in the middle of the previous year had become a best seller on numerous programs. The company was not limited to the mid-range market either—it had also begun developing luxury products.

Rumor had it that six months ago, the Third Young Lady dismissed the former design director because his style was too conservative and old-fashioned. However, the company had yet to announce his replacement.

Presumably, it had not found a suitable candidate.

After waiting for most of the day, it was finally Xu Mengyan’s turn. Despite the long wait, the actual interview lasted only around five to seven minutes.

The questions were roughly the same as those asked by other companies. Once again, someone asked why her previous jewelry company had fired her.

As usual, she gave a vague response, claiming that her abilities had failed to meet the company’s requirements. That was why she had applied to Palm Pearl for an ordinary clerical position.

The interviewers showed little reaction to her answer and merely nodded solemnly.

However, unlike at the other companies, one interviewer asked an additional question just as she stood to leave.

Although Xu Mengyan had supposedly failed to satisfy her former company’s requirements, was she still familiar with jewelry-design documents and tasks such as communicating with clients?

Of course she was.

When she initially joined her former company, her primary responsibilities had involved contacting clients, entering records into the database, and handling various documents. Only after six months did Li Zhongguang begin assigning her tedious design-related work, such as drawing preliminary sketches and cleaning up linework.

By then, Xu Mengyan assumed she had no chance of being hired. She answered perfunctorily, “Yes. Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”

The interviewer shook her head, so Xu Mengyan left.

If she had remained any longer, she would have become so hungry that her stomach hurt.

Unexpectedly, heaven had not completely blocked her path.

Half a month later, Xu Mengyan received an email from Palm Pearl informing her that she had passed the interview. The company was hiring her as an office clerk in its design department, and she would officially begin work the following week.

Once Xu Mengyan started at Palm Pearl, the design department gave her precisely the duties she had expected. They were the same design-unrelated tasks Li Zhongguang had previously forced upon her: answering telephone calls, contacting clients, entering data, photocopying documents, ordering afternoon tea, and preparing morning coffee for any designers who requested it.

Had she been employed as a design assistant, she would inevitably have resented being given those duties. But as an ordinary office clerk, they were all part of her job.

Xu Mengyan found the work much more comfortable than she had expected. It did not give her the anticipated sense of humiliation.

Perhaps occupying a different position had also changed her state of mind.

More importantly, the job did not require overtime like her previous one. The moment her shift ended, she clocked out and went home.

She even had enough spare time to continue accepting private commissions. Clients sent her photographs, which she turned into cartoon-style illustrations. Her art had a Korean-inspired aesthetic that appealed to many young women and girls, so she had no shortage of customers.

Xu Mengyan had never imagined that ordinary clerical work could be so easy and pleasant. Before she knew it, she had happily worked there for almost three months.

Although she preferred going home on time to earn extra money, surviving in the workplace still required occasionally socializing with colleagues.

The department had recently completed a large client’s bespoke order, so design supervisor Su Quanfeng invited everyone out for dinner. Everyone in the department attended. No matter how reluctant Xu Mengyan felt, she could only accompany them.

Halfway through the meal, everyone drank some alcohol. After a few glasses, one employee began shamelessly flattering Su Quanfeng.

“Brother Feng, the design-director position has been vacant all this time. You’ve brought the company so much business lately, and the Valentine’s Day Collection at the beginning of the year was another huge success. I’m sure President Han will promote you soon. When that happens, don’t forget to continue looking after us!”

“President Han has her own reasons for leaving the position vacant. Don’t say such things carelessly. It wouldn’t be good if rumors spread.”

Su Quanfeng had coveted the design-director position all along. However, he could not reveal his ambition too openly in front of his subordinates.

Still, he had produced many excellent results for the company lately. Deep down, he believed the company ought to give him the position.

Everyone around the table was either a jewelry designer or a design assistant of varying seniority. They treated Su Quanfeng as their superior, so naturally, they pushed him into the spotlight and competed to polish his boots.

As one person after another praised and flattered him, Xu Mengyan remained detached from the entire matter. She silently helped herself to the food and concentrated on eating and drinking well.

It was not that she believed Su Quanfeng’s designs were bad. From her perspective, however, something always seemed to be missing.

His products sold well because they perfectly matched the tastes of ordinary young women. Yet they lacked an eye-catching feature that would leave a deep, lasting impression.

Besides, design was responsible for only half the success of the Valentine’s Day Collection. Xu Mengyan believed the other half belonged to Xiaomei, the design department’s copywriter, who had used words to package and promote the jewelry.

A single line of copy had perfectly captured what countless young women hoped for on Valentine’s Day.

Half a month after that dinner, the company distributed everyone’s salaries.

Apart from Su Quanfeng, the other employees in the department received bonuses according to their positions. Even Xu Mengyan received an additional thousand yuan.

The entire department was extremely cheerful that morning. Everyone was already discussing what afternoon tea they should order to reward themselves.

However, shortly after they finished enjoying their celebratory afternoon tea and just before the end of the workday, the human resources department posted an announcement in the company-wide group chat.

A new employee would arrive on the first of the following month to assume the position of design director.

Immediately afterward, Han Shu announced in the group that an online company-wide meeting would be held at precisely ten o’clock that morning. She emphasized that every employee had to be online punctually.

The purpose of the meeting was obvious.

It appeared the company intended to introduce the design director who had suddenly been brought in from outside.

The previously cheerful design department instantly fell silent. It became so quiet that even a falling needle could have been heard.

Everyone’s gaze turned toward the door of Su Quanfeng’s office.

When the workday ended, the designers who usually loved working overtime saw Xu Mengyan clocking out with her fingerprint. One after another, they began gathering their belongings and followed behind her to leave.

Su Quanfeng did not open his office door until eight o’clock that evening.

He walked toward the room bearing the design director’s nameplate and stared furiously at it through gritted teeth.

He wanted to see exactly whom the Han heiress had found to occupy that position!

The next few days felt like walking on thin ice for everyone in the design department, but they finally endured them.

The first day of the month arrived on a Friday.

No one at Palm Pearl—not merely those in the design department—was late. Many employees even arrived early enough to eat breakfast at the office. By nine o’clock, they were already sitting at their computers and working.

As ten o’clock approached, everyone gradually joined the online meeting.

At precisely ten, Han Shu appeared on camera wearing a dark navy suit.

Her makeup was somewhat seductive that day, with vivid red lipstick and long, voluminous waves cascading over both shoulders. She projected an even more commanding presence than usual and carried the aura of a domineering CEO.

The company’s young Omegas stared at her with hearts practically forming in their eyes.

Everyone except Xu Mengyan.

Xu Mengyan had stayed up late the previous night working on a private commission. A client had paid an additional fee for an urgent order, forcing her to work late for two consecutive nights.

She was now extremely sleepy and sat at her desk desperately suppressing the urge to yawn.

President Han was certainly beautiful, but…

Could no one else see the words promiscuous Alpha practically carved across her face?

Xu Mengyan had worked at Palm Pearl for nearly three months and encountered President Han around the company more than once. Every time, Han Shu had been chatting with one of the company’s young Omegas and charming them until they practically blossomed with delight.

For the first half hour of the meeting, President Han discussed the problems facing each department and the areas that needed improvement.

Afterward, she introduced Bai Jingbing, who had been sitting behind the camera and drinking coffee prepared by Han Shu’s secretary.

Han Shu briefly explained that Bai Jingbing would officially become Palm Pearl’s design director that day. She then delivered the usual formal statement about hoping that Director Bai’s arrival would help Palm Pearl achieve even greater success.

“Now, I’d like Director Bai to say a few words to everyone.”

Han Shu refused to be the only one denied the chance to enjoy her coffee, so she spontaneously added a speech from Bai Jingbing to the meeting.

Originally, Han Shu had planned to wait until she personally escorted Bai Jingbing to the design department before asking her to address her subordinates.

Bai Jingbing set down her cup and shot Han Shu a sharp glare. She pulled out a tissue, wiped her mouth, and stepped in front of the camera.

Although she had prepared nothing, she was experienced enough to improvise. She spoke casually for around a minute before returning control of the meeting to Han Shu.

What neither woman knew was that everyone in the design department was on the verge of losing their minds.

That included Xu Mengyan, who usually felt as though the department’s affairs had nothing to do with her.

This was Bai Jingbing!

She had risen to extraordinary prominence over the past several years, winning numerous international awards—and every one of them had been a championship. Both domestically and abroad, she was widely recognized as an outstanding jewelry designer.

After the meeting ended, Han Shu personally escorted Bai Jingbing to the design department, where everyone had already been waiting for quite some time.

“I’m Bai Jingbing. I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to work with all of you.”

Bai Jingbing’s expression barely changed. She merely curved her lips into a faint, polite smile.

Her icy gaze swept across everyone in the department—only to pause for several seconds on someone sitting in a corner.

Well, well.

She had searched everywhere without finding her, only for the woman to appear here without the slightest effort.

So this was where the little scumbag Omega she had been looking for was hiding.